About Us

Kevin Holtzman, Psy.D.

Dr. Holtzman is a licensed clinical psychologist. He is the director of our practice. Dr. Holtzman is one of the first psychologists in the Northeast to achieve Board Certification in DBT through the Linehan Group, a board headed by the developer of DBT, Marsha Linehan Ph.D. He also has been intensively trained in DBT by an organization headed by the developer of DBT, Marsha Linehan, Ph.D. Dr. Holtzman has had extensive training in DBT and CBT and is fluent in the use of both therapies. He has particular expertise in using DBT and CBT with adolescents and adults in the treatment of anxiety (OCD, Generalized Anxiety and Phobias) and eating disorders, depression, insomnia, alcohol and drug use, and personality disorders, in particular borderline personality disorder. In addition to clinical work, Dr. Holtzman regularly offers consultation and supervision in both DBT and CBT. For several years he served as a consultant for Silver Hill Hospital with respect to the development and implementation of their in-house DBT programs. He has given many talks, trainings, and grand rounds on DBT and CBT. Dr. Holtzman has been involved in clinical research, including two clinical trials at Yale, which he co-led, that looked at the effectiveness of DBT compared to other “talk therapies.” In addition, he is an Assistant Clinical Professor at Yale University School of Medicine.

Dr. Holtzman received his Psy.D. from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology and is a graduate of the University of Illinois where he earned a B.S. in psychology. He completed his CBT and DBT focused one year doctoral internship at Yale University School of Medicine. Also at Yale, Dr. Holtzman completed a 2-year post-doctoral fellowship as part of a training grant he was awarded by the National Institute of Drug Administration.

Alisa G. Crossfield, Ph.D.

Dr. Crossfield is a licensed clinical psychologist. She is among the first in the state to achieve Board Certification in DBT by the DBT-Linehan Board. Furthermore, she has trained extensively in the empirically supported treatment models of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Dr. Crossfield integrates these models to develop an individualized treatment plan for each client. Her specialties include working with depression, anxiety disorders, personality disorders (especially Borderline Personality Disorder) and self-injury in both adults and adolescents. She has additional expertise in providing consultation to parents and family members of those living with mental illness.

Dr Crossfield earned her B.A. in psychology from Carnegie Mellon University, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa. She then earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Temple University in Philadelphia. While at Temple, Dr. Crossfield was awarded a Faculty Commendation for Excellence based on research activities. She co-authored several articles on the development of depression and conducted research on the developmental origins of eating disorders. Dr. Crossfield completed her pre-doctoral internship in Philadelphia at Friends Hospital where she received specialized training in working with adolescents and eating disorders. She then completed her post-doctoral training in a private practice in Bucks County Pennsylvania, working with individuals across the lifespan. In addition to private practice, Dr. Crossfield held an adjunct faculty appointment at Rider University in New Jersey.

Margaret Horton, LCSW

A clinical social worker by training, Ms. Horton specializes in using Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and has extensive experience using these treatments with a variety of populations. She uses DBT and CBT to help adolescents and adults with a broad range of issues, including depression and anxiety disorders, post traumatic stress disorder, personality disorders, in particular borderline personality disorder, and substance use. Ms. Horton brings to her work a deep sense of empathy and compassion, and provides clients with a supportive environment in which they can work to better understand the impact of emotions and behaviors on their functioning, and learn more skillful ways of managing them.

Prior to joining the Center, Ms. Horton worked for a number of years at Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, CT where she served as a primary therapist and skills training group leader in both the DBT and Dual Diagnosis residential programs. She also developed and managed the Women’s Intensive Outpatient Program, and provided clinical supervision to masters level social work students and newly graduated social workers seeking clinical licensure. She has also previously worked with a variety of non-profit organizations, including the International Rescue Committee, Operation Hope, and the Center for Women and Families to help them develop programming and provide clinical services to marginalized populations such as refugees, homeless individuals and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. A regular practitioner of mindfulness herself, Ms. Horton weaves this into her work with clients, and has presented to NASW-CT and other community organizations on incorporating mindfulness into clinical practice. Ms. Horton holds a BA from Colgate University, and a Masters degree in Social Work from Columbia University.

Denise Laframboise, Ph.D.

Dr. Laframboise is a licensed clinical psychologist with expertise in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and other evidenced-based treatment approaches. She is intensively trained in DBT, and has training with other mindfulness-based approaches to therapy. Her practice focuses on treatment of Anxiety Disorders, Eating Disorders, Depression, Substance Abuse and Personality Disorders, and she offers individual therapy, parent consultation, and leads groups.

Dr. Laframboise completed an Sc.B. with honors in psychology at Brown University and received her M.S. and Ph.D. from The University of New Mexico in Clinical Psychology with a minor in Cognitive Psychology. Her pre-doctoral internship was completed at the University of Vermont working in a partial hospital program that utilized Cognitive Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. She completed a clinical post-doctoral fellowship at the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders, offering CBT and other evidence-based treatments. On completing her post-doctoral training she worked as a full-time faculty member for eight years in the Department of Psychology at The University of Hartford, as a core faculty member in the Clinical Practices in Psychology Master’s program where she specialized in mentoring graduate students and teaching psychotherapy, cognitive and behavioral therapies, Professional Issues, and clinical supervision of Master’s level trainees.

Jenna Kiska, LCSW

Ms. Kiska is a licensed clinical social worker. She has proficiency in both Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and is fluent in making use of these two behavior therapies with children, adolescents, families, and adults in a variety of different settings, including inpatient, residential, and outpatient. Ms. Kiska has additional expertise in a type of CBT, Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and is certified in this approach. Her specialties include delivering DBT and CBT for the treatment of depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD, self-injury, substance use, oppositional defiance, and personality disorders, particularly Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Her clinical style blends validation, ease, and warmth with empirically supported skill-based strategies. In addition to direct clinical work, Ms. Kiska provides supervision to both master level clinicians and those seeking licensure.

Prior to joining the Center, Ms. Kiska worked in variety of settings, including a psychiatric hospital, a safe home for children removed due to abuse or neglect, a residential placement for adolescent boys, in home psychiatric services, and most recently was the director of a Child Guidance Clinic. Ms. Kiska had a leadership role in helping several of these settings adopt and implement DBT programs. As Director of the Child Guidance Clinic, Ms. Kiska provided individual DBT and CBT psychotherapy, family psychotherapy, led DBT skills training groups, and supervised a multidisciplinary team of clinicians. Ms. Kiska graduated from Sacred Heart University with her Bachelor’s in Social Work. She received her Master’s in Social Work from New York University.